Method of bottom-billing shoes and the like.



E. E. LIBBY d; E. F. LOGAN. memos or aonom mums SHOES mu m E LIKE.

APPLICATION HLED SEPT. 29. 19H- Patented Oct. 29,1918.

UNITED STATES" Parana OFFICE.

ERNEST E. LIBBY AND EDWARD- F. LOGAN, OF LYNN, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOBS TO THE BARRETT GQMPANY, A CORPORATION OF WEST VIRGINIA.

METHOD OF IBOTTO H-FILLINGSHOES AND THE LIKE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 29, 1918.

Application fled September as, 1917. Serial No. 188,948.

To all whom it ma concern:

Be it known t at we, Enuns'r E. LIBBY and EDWARD F. Locum, citizens of the United States, residing at Lynn, in the county of Essex and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Methods of Bottom-Filling Shoes and the like, of which the following is a specification.

Our invention relates to a new method of bottom filling boots and shoes whereby, in some instances, the rooess of shoe manufacturing is considerab y simplified and certain operations hitherto deemed necessary are and shoes, by the klench or staple avoided. Furthermore, greater ease and certainty of manipulation are brou ht about and a much improved product is o tained.

While our new process of bottom filling may be applied with success to all systems of'shoe manufacturing, except turns and stitch downs, it is particularly a plicable to boots and shoes made by the k ench or staple welt system and we shall describe our process with particular reference to this system.

Under the present method of making boots welt system, after the shoe upper has been lasted to the insole by temporary or permanent fasteners, such as lasting tacks, the last is removed. During the operation of removing the last, the shape of the shoe is generally distorted. The insole no longer having the substantial support of the, last, twists at the shank portion thereof, and the forepart curls and twists out of shape, often leavin the unfinished boot or shoe in an unfit con tion to proceed with the neit 0 eration. Furthermore, the longer the un 'shed shoe re mains on the shoe rack, without the support of the last, awaiting the attaching of the welt, the more aggravated does this condition become. If the welt is then attached while the shoe is out of shape, the staples, or whatever means are used to hold the welt in place, so secure the bottom that it can not be easily forced back into sha e again. In many cases the distortion of t e boot or shoe is so bad that, if its manufacture is continued, the result is an imperfect product unsalable as a first class article. Some manufacturers have tri 7 these defects by rel'asting one or more times, by applyingpressure with a leveling ma to remedy chine and even by hammering and pounding.- In any case much inconvenience and delay is experienced and an inferior product is produced. In man cases manufacturers have been compell to discontinue manufacturing by this rocess on account of the extra expense and loss of time to which they have been put trying to remove these defeots and to make the product more or less marketable.

By our process the above described disadvantages are avoided and at the same time the bottom of the boot or shoe is filled permanently and inexpensively. In practising our invention, after the u per has been lasted to the insole, we attac to the insole by any secure means, while the partially constructed shoe is still in the shape desired, and preferably before the last is removed, a comparatively firm filler consisting of one or more layers of a suitable material, sulficiently stiff to hold the shoe in she e during the remaining operations of manu acture.

While it is essential that this filler extend from the toe or near the toe, to the heel, or near the heel of the boot or shoe in an unbroken piece, it is not essential that all layers should be unbroken when more than one layer is used. If the manufacturer chooses, he may first put a forepart filler in the boot or shoe bottom and then place a long filler over this, such long filler running in an unbroken piece from the too or near the toe to than a forepart filler or a forepart filler and a shank piece over it, or he may use two or more lon fillers with or without a shank piece. 11 fact the manufacturer ma use an combination of filler material he desires, the essential part being that there must be at least one unbroken layer or filler material running from the'toe or near the toe to the heel or near the heel of the boot or shoe.

The material, when placed in the boot or shoe as we have described, serves not only as a means of holding theshoe in shape during the process of manufacture, but also as a permanent bottom filler which continues to hold the boot or shoe in shape during its wearing life; and further, when used in conneetion with the kleneh or staple welt system, serves as a guide for attachin the welt uniformly and in its proper posltion. Various materialsmay be employed to serve as tillers as described, provided the same are firm or stiff enough to ive the insole of the lasted shoe upper and lnsole the necessary firmness and rigidity to withstand the succeeding operations.

Referring to the drawing, wherein we have illustrated one form of our invention,

Figure 1 shows in plan view the bottom portion of the lasted shoe upper and insole with the inner layer of the filler and its corresponding shank piece in place;

Fig. 2 shows in plan view the bottom portion of the lasted shoe upper and insole with the inner layer of the filler and its corresponding, shank piece covered up by the outer layer of the tiller which holds the :dloc in shape and at the same time serves as a guide for the well which is here shown par tially at tachcd; and

Fig. 3 shows in cross-section a completed shoe bottom tillcd by the method of our invcntion.

lictcrrinn to the drawing. 1 represents an lIiMJlU ot' the usual sort attaclnd by the usual lasting method to the upper 3 by the lasting tacks 7. After the sole and upper have been lasted together, and either before or after, though preferably before, the last has been. removed, the comparatively stiti' tiller 1* is attached securely to the outer face of the insole. This filler consists of two layers or scetions, first an inner layer or section (I gent-rally of a thickness corrcspomling with the thickness of that portion of the upper which overlaps the insole, and the other and outer layer or Section 9 generally of a thickness corresponding with the thickness of the deli. to be applied. Since the section (3 is gener ally shaped so as to tilt only the toe portion of the shoe, it is customary to fill the shank portion with the shank piece 4 as shown in the drawing, and the heel piece 4. Preferably the parts 6, 4 and at are integral. as illustrated. Since, as a result of the lasting process, the space defined by the inner edge of the over-lapping portion of the upper is irregular, the shape of the inner layer or section 6 of our filler member need not be very accurately predetermined. For the layer or section 9 of our filler it is essential that a material be employed which is comparatively stiff so as to properly reinforce the pliable insole 1 during the removal of the last and the subsequent operations. The outer edge of the outer layer 9 of the filler member may be so shaped that it will define the line along which it: is desired that the welt be attached. The outer edge of this filler'member 9 will then serve as a guide for the inner edge of the Welt in the attaehi-nent of thesame to thelasted shoe upper. Where the filler sections 6 and 9 are of the same material it; is obvious that the same may, if desired, be made integral.

After the combined filler members 6 and 9, of sultable material, have been attached to the insole by any desirable fastening means such as the tacks 11, the welt 2 is attached to the lasted shoe upper and insole by means of the staples 8, the outer projecting edge of the filler member 9 serving as a uide for the inner edge of the welt while lieing attaehed. The welt is attached from one side of the lasted shoe upper and insole at the breast of the heel all the wa y around the shoe to the corresponding point of the breast of the heel on the other sidc of the shoe. As a result of the previous attachment of the reintorcing filler members 6 and 9, thedasted shoe upper and insole keep their shape tirnily amt rigidly during the entire \velting proccss and the distortion referred to above is ontircly avoided. At'tcr the well has been attacln-d by hl:|])lt'H,\|llt'lllll tflltflllltrt means, thc outer sole It) is attached to the shoe, the filler members 0 and J being left pcrnia madly in the slioc to serve as lillcr means.

It is clear from the above description that the use of a long tiller of a sullieiently firm material, running from the toe to the liccl ot' the boot or slioc, which holds the boot or shoe in shape duriing the process of manufacture as well as after it is made and which serves as a pm nancnt bottom lillcr, and, when necessary, as a guide for the a plication of the welt, considerably simplil ies the process of manufacture and results in a superior product. The use of this type 01' tiller, especially when such fillers are made of the material referred to in our co-pendmg applicati n, results in a further improvement of the product due to the superior properties of fillers made oli such material.

What we claim is:

1. A method of bottom filling welt shoes and the like, eomprisin the step of applying a comparatively sti permanent bottom tiller to the outer face of the insole in contact with said insole before the welt is attached. i

2. A method of bottom filling welt shoes and the like, comprising the step-of applying a permarumt, shape retaining material to the outer face of the insole in contact with said insole of a lasted upper and insole before the welt is attached. p

3. A method of bottom filling welt shoes and the like, comprising the step of applying a permanent bottom filler of compare tively stilt material to the outer face of the insole in contact with said insole before the Welt is attached or the last removed.

4. A method of bottom filling welt shoes and the like, comprising the step of applying a 'iermanent bottom filler of comparatively stiff material to the outer face of the insole in contact with said insole before the welt is attached, the edge of the outer face of the filler conforming to the contour to be assumed by the welt,

5. A method of bottom fillin shoes and the like, comprising the steps 0 lasting the shoe upper to the insole, applying a permanent bottom filler of comparatively stiflf material to the outer face of the insole in contact with said insole of the lasted shoe upper and insole, the outer edge of the outer face of the filler conforming to the contour to be assumed by the welt, and thereafter attaching the welt while causing the same to ltlalguided by the edge of the outer face of the 6. A method of bottom fillin shoes and the like, comprising 'the steps 0 lasting the shoe upper to the insole, applying a perma nent, comparatively stlif material to the outer face of the insole in contact with said insole, the outer edge of the outer face of the said material conforming to the contour to be assumed by the welt, attaching the welt while causing the same to be. 'ded by the ed e of the outer face of the Her, and therea ter completing the shoe without removing the said material.

5. A method of bottom filling shoes and the like comprising the steps of applying a suitably shaped permanent bottom filler of comparatively stiff material in the outer face of the insole in contact with said insole, and thereafter att the welt while causingethe same to be i ed by the edge of the on r face of the er.

8. A method of bottom filling shoes and the like which comprises the steps of applying a permanent templet of c0mparainsole before the welt is applied and retainin it after the shoe is completed.

10. method of bottom fillinglwelt shoes and the like which comprises t e steps of applying a permanent bottom filler to the outer face of the insole before the welt is attached, and attaching the welt so that said filler abuts the same substantially through out their adjacent edges.

In testimony whereof We aflix our signatures.

ERNEST E. LIBBY. EDWARD FQLOGAN. 

